Household appliances traditionally do not have heat protective covers. A cover may be available for covering an appliance that is decorative in nature, or is applied to prevent the collection of dust on an appliance. However, these types of decorative covers are not for use when the appliance is hot. The decorative covers are only for use after the appliance has completely cooled and is not longer emanating heat. These types of covers are commonly made with materials such as cotton or polyester. The types of materials used in prior art covers do not have any heat protection or heat resistant qualities nor do they offer any protection from exposure to steam. These types of materials are not resistant to heat and are flammable at high temperatures. These covers cannot be used on an appliance that is still heated from use. They cannot be used on an appliance that produces steam. This is true for toaster covers, hot plate covers, etc.
Currently, there does not exist on the market protective covers for irons and similar appliances or devices where the cover may be used and applied to the appliance when it is at an elevated temperature. Nor does there exist on the market protective covers for irons and similar appliances or devices where the cover may be used and applied to the appliance when it is releasing steam. Certain appliances or devices may be left in the open, increasing the chance of exposure to the heated appliance, which can cause burns on human skin. The current practice in homes or industry (i.e., restaurant kitchens) is to verbally warn people in the immediate vicinity that the appliance is still hot or to otherwise caution individuals that an appliance is hot and a danger. Of course, more common to those situations is to assume individuals will notice that the appliance has been recently used because he/she was in the room during the use of the appliance. The individual may assume the appliance has been recently used if he/she feels heat emanating from the appliance. However, there is always a possibility that someone is in a rush and in his/her haste, bumps into or otherwise comes in contact with the hot appliance. In these situations, the individual has a greater risk of burning himself/herself on the hot appliance. Also, in the event the individual is merely working near or close to the hot appliance, the individual could inadvertently bump the hot appliance, thereby burning his/her skin. Alternatively, the cord of the appliance could become entangled with someone or something, and be pulled from where it is stored. For example, the cord of an iron could become entangled by a child, and the iron could fall on the child and burn the child. In another situation, an iron or hot plate may fall and burn the surface on which it lies or start a fire.
In the view of the foregoing, a need exists for a cover that can be placed over a hot appliance to protect individuals from burning themselves on the appliance while it is still hot or releasing steam.
There exists a need for a cover that visually alerts individuals that an appliance is hot with, for example, the use of a temperature sensitive material that changes color on the cover's exterior, or the use of a temperature sensor connected to a light or other visual display on the protective cover's exterior.
There also exists a need for a cover that transmits some of the heat emanating from the appliance that can be sensed by an individual and which alerts the nearby individual that the appliance beneath the cover is heated or hot and minimizing dangers of being burned.
There exists a need for a cover that fits securely onto a hot appliance and that will not fall off inadvertently. In the event an appliance such as an iron or hot plate falls, the cover would remain secure to the iron or hot plate and would not become dislodged from the appliance.
There exists a need for a cover that is easily placed securely onto a hot appliance where the individual or user does not burn his/her fingers during the process of placing the protective cover on the hot appliance.
There exists a need for a cover that allows for air flow through the cover in a manner that allows cool air to reach the hot surface of the device or appliance so that it can cool down. The transmission of the heat serves the function of enabling the hot appliance to cool, prevents condensation from forming on the appliance, and also acts to alert an individual that the appliance is hot because some of the heat is transferred to the exterior surface of the cover and can be detected by an individual.
The present invention overcomes a number of limitations of current devices currently known and/or available. Other objects, features, and characteristics of the invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form part of this specification.